Do you have to be staying WDW to use ME?

[Princess Steph]

My brother is flying in to MCO with us, going to MVMCP that evening and then staying with friends. He will not be at the hotel with us. Can he still use ME or do you need to be staying at WDW? Perhaps, we all just take a taxi instead?

 

[hearts8701]

Disney's Magical Express Service is a complimentary benefit offered to guests staying at Walt Disney World® Resort hotels with the exception of Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel and the Downtown Disney® Resort Area Hotels. Disney's Magical Express Service is also not available at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort or Disney's Vero Beach Resort.

 

[kaytieeldr]

However, your brother MAY be able to make a reservation with Mears, or even walk up to that counter, and pay MUCH less than a taxi, and be put on the same bus as you! Then again, he may not. He may end up on an entirely separate shuttle. He's an adult and is capable of riding a bus/shuttle alone, right?

 

[SueM in MN]

However, your brother MAY be able to make a reservation with Mears, or even walk up to that counter, and pay MUCH less than a taxi, and be put on the same bus as you! Then again, he may not. He may end up on an entirely separate shuttle. He's an adult and is capable of riding a bus/shuttle alone, right?

Mears has a contract to run ME buses for WDW, but the ME buses and the regular Mears buses are completely separate.
He wouldn't be able to get on the same shuttle thru Mears or pay to get on the ME shuttle.

 

[CleveRocks]

Mears has a contract to run ME buses for WDW, but the ME buses and the regular Mears buses are completely separate.
He wouldn't be able to get on the same shuttle thru Mears or pay to get on the ME shuttle.

Are you saying that Mears runs buses to WDW resorts separate from DME buses? We were informed that Mears no longer independently transports people from MCO to WDW resorts except for their DME subcontractor role. As Ronda was saying, we were informed that people who went to the Mears MCO counter could pay to be bused to a WDW resort, but that their actual mode of transportation was a DME bus, along with the DME passengers. Do you have updated information on this?

 

[SueM in MN]

If you were told that by Mears, it apparently has changed. I posted what I was told the situation was in March when we went.

 

[goofy4tink]

I will say that we have had people on our DME bus going to the S/D, and we know that DME doesn't apply to them. When we have stayed at BCV we made the stop at S/D first, so that a party of about 6 or 7 could get off. I believe I overheard them telling someone that they had booked with Mears and paid the going rate to get to the S/D. Can't say for sure it that still goes on now, but it did happen last June '05.

 

[Princess Steph]

Thanks for the info. I will try to contact Mears and see what they say. Even if he gets placed on a different shuttle, that's fine. It's up to me to iron out the details, you know. I just love planning a disney trip!!

 

[seashoreCM]

Disney Cruise Line guests, and regular Mears passengers going to Disney resorts, may or may not be commingled with Magical Express guests. DCL guests often stay at Swan and Dolphin hence those signs heading up queues in the ME boarding area (as of 5/05).

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/magicx.htm

 

[Princess Steph]

I just called DME and was told that you can not purchase a DME pass. It is complementary for WDW guests only. So I called Mears and was told by them that they are not allowed to transport guests from the airport to a WDW resort hotel. They could take my brother to the Swan and Dolphin for $30 round trip, but he needs to get to SSR himself. Strange. Mears said disney was drowning out everyone else. Next I will try a taxi or town car. I assume they still allow them through to Disney hotels.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

They could take my brother to the Swan and Dolphin for $30 round trip, but he needs to get to SSR himself. Strange. Mears said disney was drowning out everyone else. Next I will try a taxi or town car. I assume they still allow them through to Disney hotels.

Are your parents below the maximum occupancy for their room at SSR? It this a stay using DVC points (in which case there is no charge for extra adults in the room up to the maximum room occupancy)?

If the answer to those two questions is yes, then it's a simple matter of adding your brother to the room reservation — even if he won't actually be sleeping in the room. Once he's on the room reservation, he's entitled to use DME.

Taxis and towncars still serve WDW resorts, including SSR. So that's an option too.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Are your parents below the maximum occupancy for their room at SSR? It this a stay using DVC points (in which case there is no charge for extra adults in the room up to the maximum room occupancy)?

If the answer to those two questions is yes, then it's a simple matter of adding your brother to the room reservation — even if he won't actually be sleeping in the room. Once he's on the room reservation, he's entitled to use DME.

That would be a great solution, unless they are also getting the Dining Plan. If they add your brother to the room reservation, they will also have to add him to the Dining Plan.

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[seashoreCM]

If he is eventually and ultimately reserved at a Disney resort at the last minute, he should show up at the ME welcoming area anyway with the room reservation printout. The Mears desk is just to the left. One of the following will almost certainly happen (1) they put him on the bus free as a ME guest, or (2) they sell him a bus ticket for approx. $18. one way and put him on possibly the same bus, as a Mears customer.

The trip back to the airport can be reserved on ME after getting to the resort.

If he is not reserved at a Disney resort, there is no reason for them to be compelled to take him to a Disney resort if they offered to sell him a ticket to the Swan.

 

[J&J]

Yes you have to be staying on a Dsiney site.

 

[kaytieeldr]

So I called Mears and was told by them that they are not allowed to transport guests from the airport to a WDW resort hotel. They could take my brother to the Swan and Dolphin for $30 round trip, but he needs to get to SSR himself. Strange. Mears said disney was drowning out everyone else.

See, now, I don't get that. Outcry and protests from non-DME transportation services (including, one would think, Mears) REQUIRES that all DME passengers have advanced reservations. So if the person you spoke with is correct - and I genuinely don't think they are - someone who's been to Disney before and taken the Mears shuttle, but is not as fanatical as "some" of us about planning and budgets $30 to get to AND from the airport is now out of luck? They're stuck at the airport? Because a taxi is about $50 each way, and a town car is more than that.
Doesn't make sense to me. At all.

 

[Lewisc]

Unless it's changed very recently guests can purchase a voucher at the Mears desk and will be transported on a DME bus.

Mears won't let you make an advance reservation, wouldn't be needed anyway, and won't even tell you about that option if you ask. They don't want to be in the position of Disney guests booking Mears without realizing they can get DME for free. Since advance DME reserations are required guests showing up without a reservation might be sent to Mears to purhcase a ticket.

If the rules have changed, and are being enforced just pay Mears to transport you to SoG, Swan/Dolphin or a DTD hotel. I would plan on being able to pay Mears when you get to MCO.

 

[Princess Steph]

Thanks for the replies. When we get to MCO, we'll just see how it goes and try to by a shuttle ticket. Worse case he takes a taxi to SSR to meet up with us. Right now I'm trying to figure out if we are doing the dining plan. That will influence some decisions.